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The CPRE (Campaign To Protect Rural England) are, unsurprisingly, not best pleased about this.

Kate Gordon, CPRE senior planner, commented: "Our main worry is the proposed location of many of these schemes.

"We fully support the Government's aspirations for achieving the highest standards in terms of sustainability and affordability.

"But achieving high environmental standards on site is not enough if the development is in the wrong place to begin with."

Affordable Ecology

Coltishall Group Plc

The new towns, which will provide anywhere between 5,000 and 20,000 new homes, aren't just being planned with sustainability in mind.

The Government is pushing for five eco towns by 2016, with the remaining five by 2020, and it wants each one to comprise of 30 to 40 per cent affordable housing.

The TCPA (Town and Planning Association) has welcomed not only the shortlist, but the suggestion that eco towns might be viewed more favourably by planners in the future.

Gideon Amos, TCPA Chief Executive, commented: "At last new towns take their place in the portfolio of development solutions and communities can see Government is taking decisive action to press forward the agenda.

"We hope the proposed planning policy will enable more eco towns to come forward through the proper plan making process, perhaps even a new programme of eco-villages to satisfy the urgent need for rural affordable housing."

The eventual ten eco-town sites will be decided within the next six months.

The Shortlist

These are the top 15 bids that have made it through to the final round of the Government's own Eco Idol:

Pennbury, Leicestershire
Developer: Co-operative Estates
12-15,000 homes on a development incorporating brownfield, greenfield and surplus public sector land. Four miles south east of Leicester. This proposal could include 4,000 new affordable houses in an area of high affordability pressure.

Manby and Strubby Lincolnshire
Developer: East Lindsey District Council
5,000 homes put forward by East Lindsey District Council on two sites, with large elements of brownfield land including a former RAF base. The proposal complements the strategic plan for the phased relocation of communities on Lincolnshire coast because of high flood risk, and could include 1,500 affordable homes in an area of very high affordability pressure.

Curborough, Staffordshire
Developer: Gleeson, Redrow, Banks Development and Henry Boot
5,000 homes on the brownfield site of the former Fradley airfield, ten miles from Burton. The proposal could include 2,000 affordable houses in an area of very high affordability pressure.

Middle Quinton, Warwickshire
Developer: St Mowden and the Bird Group
6,000 homes on a former Royal Engineers depot which has a rail link to the Worcester-London rail line. Six miles South West of Stratford upon Avon. The proposal could include 2,000 affordable houses in an area of very high affordability pressure.

Bordon-Whitehill, Hampshire
Developer: East Hampshire District Council
5-8,000 homes on a site owned by the Ministry of Defence. A significant number of ex-MoD homes are already on the site, west of Whitehill-Bordon. The proposal could include 2,000 affordable houses in an area of very high affordability pressure.

Weston Otmoor, Oxfordshire
Developer:Parkridge
10-15,000 homes on a site adjoining the M40 and the Oxford-Bicester railway. Three miles south west of Bicester, the site includes a current airstrip. The scheme could include between 3,000 and 5,000 affordable homes, in an area of extreme affordability pressure.

Ford, West Sussex
Developer: Redrow, Southern Limited and Wates
5,000 homes on a site which includes brownfield land and the former Ford airfield. Close to rail line linking London and the Sussex coast. The scheme could include 1,500 affordable homes, in an area of very high affordability pressure.

Imerys China Clay Community, Cornwall
Developer: Imerys Minerals
Development of around 5,000 homes on former china clay workings, industrial land and disused mining pits no longer needed by owner Imerys. Close to St Austell. The scheme could include 1,500 affordable homes, in an area of extreme affordability pressure.

Rossington, South Yorkshire
Developer: Partnership between UK COAL, Persimmon, HelioSlough and Rossington Forward Up to 15,000 homes regenerating the former colliery village of Rossington, three miles south of Doncaster. The scheme could include 1,500 affordable homes, in an area of moderate affordability pressure.

Coltishall, Norfolk
Developer: Coltishall Group Plc
5,000 homes on a former RAF airfield, eight miles north of Norwich. The scheme could include 2,000 affordable homes in an area of very high affordability pressure.

Hanley Grange, Cambridgeshire
Developer: Jarrow Investments
8,000 homes on land adjacent to the A11 designed to improve the severe lack of housing in and around Cambridge. The scheme could include 3,000 affordable homes in an area of extreme affordability pressure.

Marston Vale and New Marston, Bedfordshire
Developer: O & H Properties
Up to 15,400 homes on a series of sites, including former industrial sites, along the east-west rail line to Stewartby and Millbrook. The scheme could include 2,000 affordable homes in an area of high affordability pressure.

Elsenham, Essex
Developer: The Fairfield Partnership
A minimum of 5,000 homes north east of the existing Elsenham village. Close to M11 and the London to Cambridge rail line. The scheme could include 1,800 affordable homes in an area of extreme affordability pressure.

Rushcliffe, Nottinghamshire
Developer: Banks Developments
An eco-town proposal was submitted for Kingston-on-Soar, to the south of Nottingham. In response to representations from Rushcliffe Borough Council, this site is not to be pursued. However, the Government is proposing to carry out a further review in partnership with RBC to consider whether there is a suitable alternative location with the potential to be viable within the Rushcliffe local authority area.

Leeds City Region, Yorkshire
A number of eco-town proposals were submitted for locations within the area of Leeds City Region partnership of 11 authorities and principally between Leeds and Selby.